Sasuke's New Found Love for Sakura
by sasuluvssaku4now
Summary: On Hiatus Sakura has now subsided and isn't so crazy about Sasuke anymore! However, Sasuke has a new found attraction for this cherry blossom but will she return it?
1. Sakura's Beautiful

-1 Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but Masashi Kishimoto does!

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Six solid years have now elapsed ever since Sakura has had a tight grasp over her long time crush. However, now that their 18 years old, Sakura begins to question her love for the dark-haired boy.

'Sasuke's still the same: Cool, ignorant, overly handsome, snobby…'

She was confused on how questions suddenly overflowed her mind. She took a glance at Naruto and Sasuke arguing again with Kakashi leaning on a pole reading his dirty novel. Naruto was frustrated with Sasuke's one word answers against his whole speech on ramen. Sakura chuckled lightly then went on ahead, walking towards the group. As she walked closer, she didn't notice that her difference in behavior when exposed to the Uchiha's presence. In other words; Sakura was _not_ swooning, blushing, and/or squealing like a baby pig, within the minimum of 2 feet away from Sasuke.

"Ugh, bastard-kun! What do you have against ramen that you threw away a whole bowl!" Naruto yelled out frantically.

"Just remembered, I already ate," Sasuke replied swiftly.

Naruto moaned at the loss of a still steaming bowl of barbeque beef ramen, "Aw, you could've at least given it to me you ice-brat!" Showing that he was obviously upset. Sakura finally reached their spot and began teasing the blonde boy.

"Hmm…crying over spilled milk again, eh, Naruto?"

"Ewgh, Milk," he grimaced, " Sasuke-butt over here just threw away a whole bowl of ramen!" Naruto growled at Sasuke's direction.

"Ugh, Naruto. Can you just shut up about ramen for once?" Sakura slapped Naruto on the forehead to stop his crying, "Oh by-the-way, Kakashi-sensei, I overheard Tsunade-sama saying that there was a…meeting, I think, at Hokage's tower…shouldn't you get going?" An irritated look struck his exposed eye, forcing it to leave the perverted pages and look back at his student.

"Aa…of course… " he remarked and disappeared as a gust of wind blew east.

Sasuke felt something different, not something wrong but there was something awkward about the silence that bestowed upon them after Kakashi left. Usually, Sakura would've bounced right in and greeted him "Hello" or comment something childish as "Ooh, your hair is just so shiny today Sasuke-kun!" But there was none, instead she was giggling at the sight of Naruto weeping over his stupid ramen. Ah, but he ignored this small detail and started turning his attention to Naruto as well.

"We'll go for ramen if it'll stop you're complaining," Sasuke just wasn't in the proper mood to mingle with Naruto's childish ways. Once they reached the store, Naruto automatically busted in through the door and began ordering all sorts of flavors. Sakura took a seat on one of the empty tables, Naruto brought in about 12 bowls of ramen all balanced on his arms.

"Don't you dare drop those bowls! I don't want us getting kicked out." Sakura's green eyes were wide open and eyebrows in concern. But-ah-Naruto seemed to have made a profession on balancing bowls as he had done this numerous times. He laid them down neatly (surprisingly) and flopped on his chair, then ate his bowls like some wild animal. Sakura merely took small portions of her noodles. Sasuke had taken a seat next to Sakura because he didn't want to get the blonde's slobber all over him as he ate, and because there was no other chair left. Usually, Sakura would've blushed at how close they were and tried scooting closer to him. Instead, she went on ahead and ate her food not even noticing the dark-haired boy next to her.

"Uh, Sasuke? ..Something on my face?" Sakura suddenly asked.

"Hn? Nothing…why?" Sasuke blinked.

Sakura only smiled back, " 'Cause you keep staring at me."

Sasuke wasn't aware of this and immediately looked down on his own bowl. Sakura on the other hand just smiled innocently and took a couple more gulps of the soup.

Yup, something was different. First of all: Sakura left out the _'kun' _from Sasuke's name and then now_, he _was the one staring at _her_ blankly. Sasuke gave his head a little shake to ignore his confusions. After waiting for Naruto to finish his ramen, they walked out and onto the streets, then was just about to go their separate ways when Sakura noticed the full moon.

"Uh, Naruto? Are you feeling alright?" Sakura was concerned that the Kyuubi inside him would do another outbreak and tear through the village like the last full moon.

Naruto looked at Sakura and smiled….with sharp fangs being revealed, "Course I am, feeling kina heavy from that wonderful dinner but-uh-I got nothing."

"Okay, that's it. Sasuke and I cant leave you alone on a full moon. Who knows, you might rob the ramen stores or something again, like last time." Sakura put a concerned hand on top of his shoulder.

"Hmph, I have no problem leaving him alone full moon or not. I'm not going to waste my whole night baby-sitting a blond brat." Sasuke said but in the back of his mind, he felt an awkward flinch at the loss of his name.

"No, we can't leave him," Sakura snapped back. Sasuke was inwardly startled, for more than he can remember, Sakura would never have said anything negative back at him, but he brushed it away.

"He might do more danger this time. Naruto, No way I'm staying at _your_ place, so your going to have to sleep at mines." She gave Sasuke a glimpse, "We're responsible for each other so you're going to have to stay with us whether you like it or not." Deep inside though, Sakura smiled at herself for being able to say those words directly at Sasuke yet cringed at her own stern tone against him.

Sasuke merely furrowed his brows and trudged behind the two. 'Sakura's beginning to stray away from her usual happy-go-lucky self.,' his thoughts slowing down his pace.

"Sasuke, can you please hurry up a bit? Naruto's starting to leek out chakra." Sakura smiled lightly over her shoulder to soften up from her sudden tone. This too was the first that she had told him to improve on something. He simply shrugged and quickened up his pace until he was walking behind Sakura's back.

The way she walked seemed utterly feminine yet firm, her rose-colored hair glistened on the rays of the moon, he just noticed now how sharp her shoulder blades were tracing down to her thin waist then curved out for her hips. This was a bit of a startle to Sasuke, he never really paid much attention to the pink headed girl until now and a slight tingling feeling churned his stomach. 'What the heck? Didn't I just eat?' but he knew that it was a sudden attraction to Sakura that kept pinching his sides.

"Sakura's…beautiful?"

He blushed lightly for thinking about her that way and stared downwards only to burn his cheeks red at the sight of Sakura's round bottom. He silently choked inside at the new found attraction he discovered over her. He then fell on top of Sakura when she suddenly stopped. Sasuke fell on her back with Sakura straining to look behind her. So much for shinobi reflexes.

"Umph…Sasuke!?" She tried to get up but his weight was too much for her to handle. Sasuke however, was still trying to hide the redness of his cheeks at the touch of her bottom on his stomach. His fingers brushed her silky skin and he had to resist from wanting to touch her arm any further. He quickly jumped off of her and watched as Naruto helped her get up.

'Get a hold of yourself, Sasuke!' he kept repeating to himself. What in the world was he feeling? What happened to the unattached shinobi he thought he achieved?

"Sasuke-butt, it wouldn't hurt to watch where your going you know!" Naruto stuck his tongue out, "Anyways, we're here in Sakura-chan's place now. Have your pajamas ready?" He taunted Sasuke, and so he replied with a dark gaze.

"Remember to bring your teddy bear?" Sasuke smirked. Sakura laughed at this, involuntarily bringing a faint smile to the corner of his lips. Usually he wouldn't give a care if she laughed or not but this time it was different. She went on ahead, unlocked the door and led the two boys in.

"I'll get some blankets and pillows, you can stretch the bottom of the couch and it'll be a bed fit for both of you." she headed towards her room.

"Ewe! I have to sleep with _him_!?" the two boys gave each other death glares.

"Just try to keep your hands off of me." Sasuke snorted.

"okay, okay that's enough you two, sheesh." She came back with pillows and blankets as she promised. "Just don't make too much noise here okay or the neighbors will get mad."

Naruto smirked, "Hmph, I don't know Sakura…hopefully Sasuke won't start groping me while I try to sleep."

"Ugh, you're disgusting." Sasuke and Naruto went head-to-head at taunting each other until Sakura forced them to sleep on the couch/bed.

She went in her room to give the boys some privacy in changing their clothes, then came back to close the lights. She was wearing a sheer white night dress that was a bit translucent, showing off more skin. She blushed at the sight of the boys without their shirts on and noticed that they too were staring at her.

"uh…Good night. Naruto please don't thrash my home alright? I still haven't paid the full rent yet." She chuckled while Sasuke couldn't help but trace his eye along her curves. He then snapped out of it and shook his head once more.

"eh…'night." She returned a smile at him then disappeared behind her room's door.


	2. Try to Sleep

-1Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto…. sigh

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"Okay well, you better not feel too comfortable here okay?" Naruto smirked.

"Whatever, just move over there," the boys argued in a whisper keeping in mind Sakura's warning. They decided upon lining their pillows down the middle of the bed to make a border between them. After they settled, they were quiet for a moment until the blonde broke the silence.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"What do you want now, dobe?"

Naruto ignored him, "I was just wondering….have you noticed how sexy Sakura-chan has become lately?"

Sasuke blinked and wasn't sure what to respond, "Uh-well…"

"Ahah, admit it! The '_all and powerful_' Uchiha has a crush on Sakura-chan!," Naruto smirked pleasingly.

"Ugh, I never said anything you idiot!" Sasuke tried to punch him through the wall of pillows. There was a pause.

"So…_do_ you?" both were staring up at the ceiling.

"Well…I-wait a minute. Why are you so curious all of the sudden?"

"Hunh? Oh-uh-well honestly, I've always liked Sakura-chan!" Naruto admitted.

'What else is new?'

There was another pause.

"…a little.." Sasuke finally spoke up.

"Huh! Really!?" Naruto propped up and looked over at him through the pillows, "Ever since when?"

"Hn, just now actually…" '_Woah wait, why am I telling all this to Naruto again?! Shit'_

"Just go to sleep, baka."

Naruto murmured something, "Haha, Yeah. Hopefully I don't go on ahead and rape you or anything through the night." He was smirking until he was being suffocated by a pillow. The blonde's shouts were muffled by the cushion then finally pushed the Uchiha off.

"Alright, Alright I get it already. Geez."

"how do I put up you?" Sasuke made another effortless punch at him through the cushiony wall. Then they both dosed off. However, Naruto would repeatedly kick Sasuke in the face and would snore loudly. Sasuke on the other side would 'accidently' push Naruto off of the bed and hog all the blankets. They didn't really get quite as much sleep until they just gave it up and stopped their foolishness.


	3. GoodNight Kiss

-1Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but I do own these twisted ideas!

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Sasuke began to see flashes of Sakura's angelic smile. The wind was playing with her pink hair and her emerald eyes were shining brightly. She cheered, "Oh, hello Sasuke-kun!" The sunshine reflected her happiness but somewhere there was a noise. A soft screech. Sasuke woke up alert. He sat up in bed only to find Sakura getting a drink of water in the kitchen.

"Sakura?"

She looked behind her and across to the living room, there was Sasuke prompt up on her couch. "Oh, sorry! I got kina thirsty." Sasuke stood up and walked towards her in the kitchen then took a glass of water himself.

"Its alright, I'm thirsty as well." He drank his water in one gulp and began putting away his cup when he realized how close they were. His cheeks tinted a bit at the wonderful texture of her dress against his bare chest. Frantically trying to relieve the silence, Sakura asked.

"So how's Naruto doing? I'm a bit surprised to see that my couch hasn't been ripped to shreds yet." She giggled softly.

"Fine, he's getting much more sleep than I am." He smirked playfully.

Sakura's kitchen was quite small and often they bumped into each other. In the process of moving to and from the sink, Sasuke accidentally brushed Sakura's chest while her knee accidentally brushed against his groin. The two blushed severely.

"Well you better get some sleep while it's still dark," Sakura said.

Intoxicated in the feel and scent of her along with his new found attraction, there was an overwhelming urge to just kiss her.

Maybe it was from the lack of sleep and all his thoughts and emotions, swimming around in confusion but he aimed for her cheek in attempt. Sakura was startled by his action and turned her head just enough for their lips to clasp together. There was an awkward moment as their lips remained still. Sakura pulled away and, oh, how Sasuke wished she didn't.

"Uh, sorry about that…" he lied, tch, he loved it!

"Heh, its alright…" Sakura didn't dare look him in the eye.

There was that same will again that demanded he kiss her again, and so he gave in. Sasuke carefully drew his hand and cupped her chin, tilting it so that she would have to look at him. Sasuke leaned in and kissed her softly. Sakura trembled at first, her mind already blown half way out of Konoha, but then returned the kiss. This provoked Sasuke to kiss her more intimately. He wrapped his hands around her slender figure while she rested her hand on his shoulder.

Sasuke suddenly slipped his tongue in between her parted lips and played with her own. He pulled her closer to him in need of more friction. His hand slid down her back and nestled just above her bottom. Sakura's kiss still held that innocence which increased the bulge in his pajama bottoms. Sasuke kissed her even deeper and soon the two were trudging around the kitchen in desperate circles. Sakura's hand tried to grasp for something to hold onto for support against Sauke's force. Instead she sent pots and pans clashing down on the floor but they didn't mind. However, Naruto surely did.

He jumped straight out of the bed: fangs bared, claws ready to rip something apart, and his eyes a bloody red. He began to growl and the kissing stopped. They each pulled away from each other just before Naruto came bursting in the kitchen. He was crouched down a bit and sniffed the air.

"Naru-"

"I thought I heard something coming from over here…" Naruto finally looked up at his teammates flushed faces.

They seemed to be out of breath and Sasuke licked the side of his lips. They were stiff as statues under Naruto's gaze. His expression softened a bit to see that it was merely them but he sensed something in the atmosphere, though unsure what it was. Sasuke never looked so out of breath before, even during training and Sakura was so red that her forehead camouflaged with her pink hair in the dark. Both were hoping that Naruto really was an idiot and didn't get any ideas about what was going on. But, no, Naruto was actually smarter that they let on, they watched the boy slowly smirked. His smirk looked a bit devilish with his fangs still exposed. Sakura began to sweat under the heat of his body and chakra. Naruto continued on smiling at the two.

"Oh..ahah…I get it now.." He unsheathed his claws and stood up straight, "You two were smooching or something now weren't ya?" he nudged Sasuke and winked at him. Sasuke's eyes were wide open that Naruto found out and bonked him on the top of his head. He became unconscious then dragged him onto the bed. There the fox boy went back to his sleep and he turned back to Sakura.

"that…was nice.." His lips still tingled from her touch.

"Yes…it was.." Sakura giggled nervously. "We really have to get some sleep tonight. ..training tomorrow…" For once, Sakura was actually thinking about training while Sasuke still couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"Hn..." Just before he settled himself back on the bed, Sasuke looked back at her sideways and showed a rare smile. Sakura blushed again as she smiled back, then retrieved to her own room. Sakura couldn't stop the smile that was stuck on her heated face. Despite already being a legal adult, she happily jumped back in bed then softly touched her lips. They were still throbbing from his touch. The crush she had for Sasuke was now fully awaken but with the sweet memory of that night, she ignored the lacking feeling in the back of her heart. She slept that night with a wondrous smile splayed on her face.

Sasuke inhaled and exhaled repeatedly trying to gather his thoughts, something was going on with his emotions. Unsure whether to give in and enjoy this swooping feeling or resist it for his own benefit. He finally relaxed his breathing as slumber took over him, a silly grin set on his lips.


	4. Parting Gift

-1Disclaimer: I don't own the anime Naruto or any of the following characters

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Sasuke and Sakura felt a bit awkward the next morning considering that they were smooching the night before. Her cheeks flashed a slight pink when she encountered Sasuke in the kitchen (again). But then she noticed the huge mess in the kitchen with Naruto still cooking up some noodles.

"Narutoo..." she gave a warning tone to the blond.

"You better clean that up, don't try me, Uzumaki!" Sakura pointed a finger at the sink which was piled with dirty pots and cooking utensils then giving the blond boy a threatening glare. Naruto's eyes were wide open and cringed at her scolding.

"Yes, Sakura-chan. Heh.." He jumped to his feet and began cleaning up thproughly. Then Sakura softened and chuckled.

"Demanding.." She turned around to see Sasuke fully dressed and giggled.

"I have my ways," she then turned to the clock and gasped, "10 o'clock!? Ack, Kakashi-sensei will be furious. We have to go."

Naruto stopped and snickered, "You actually think that Kaka-sensei will get mad at _us_ for being _late_? You 'kay, Sakura-chan?" Sakura blinked and started laughing. The Uchiha himself couldn't help but give a small smirk. Instead they helped the blonde clean up the kitchen and went down towards their usual training area.

To their surprise, Kakashi was there waiting for them when usually it would be vise versa.

"Kakashi-sensei, we're so sorry for being late," Sakura fumbled around for some good excuse.

"Hm, its alright, Sakura. Now I see that its better being late than waiting here.." he muttered something under his breath.

They went on and began training their jutsus, especially Sakura who couldn't keep up with the boys.

'It's a shame she doesn't possess the same chakra reserves as the other two, she would've made a quick high-level ninja.' Kakashi admired Sakura's determination and skill compared to Sasuke's advanced-bloodline or the Kyuubi's chakra.

Sasuke on the other hand was being frustrated with his efforts and seemed to be distracted. He seemed to be acting this way for the few days, something was certainly troubling him.

Kakashi had a strong feeling it was about Itachi, but who knows, Sasuke was almost _impossible_ to forecast.

He couldn't keep his mind on his energy distribution and failed miserably. The brunette couldn't help but notice Sakura's great progress with her new jutsus that their sensei had just taught her today. She could almost do it perfectly and now all she's working on is the speed and strength. He actually felt a bit of envy towards her which only made him curse at himself even more.

"Calm down, Uchiha. Get some water and try again," he offered. Ah, but Sasuke just came back, dripping wet from head to toe.

"Urgh, that's it for me," he grunted, "I'm going," then disappeared.

'I must increase my power no matter what. This is not working for me, I must go out and venture for more strength.'

And so he planned to leave that very night but suddenly remembered the passionate kiss he shared with Sakura. He wasn't sure whether he really had feelings for her and stay, but he was an avenger. There is no room for these types of emotions to an avenger as he, he just wouldn't stay true to that fact.

Sasuke gave an irritated sigh then started packing his things. 'Perhaps, a quick glance to my teammates before I leave.' He brought his bag with him then went to Naruto's apartment. He looked in through a window, Naruto as usual was chowing down a few bowls of ramen then letting out a loud burp.

"Mmm…." Naruto rubbed his stomach. Something caught his eye and darted out the window.

"What the-" Nobody was outside at all, but he felt a sharp wind go past him. He stood outside and blinked then went back in to clean his dishes. 'Hmm, I wonder what that was.' Then something else caught his eye! A rice cake was sitting on the ground with a scrawny mouse surrounding it. 'Huh! A perfectly good onigiri!' He kicked the mouse away, dusted off some of the dirt then chewed happily. 'Oh wow, its pretty crunchy when its aged.'

'Ugh, stupid Naruto. He'll catch food poisoning someday' Sasuke stared at the blond then jumped off to Sakura's apartment.

He wasn't sure if he should just barge in and peek through her window, then again he wasn't that much of a gentleman.

The nin crouched low and looked in her window. She wasn't there. He raised an eyebrow as he heard showers in the bathroom switch off. After a couple of minutes, Sakura came out with only a mere towel wrapped around her. Her pink hair was still dripping and so was the rest of her body.

Sasuke felt his face redden and planned to run away, giving her privacy, yet something deep inside told him to stay, and he accepted immediately. She went over to her closet and took out another one of her sheer night dresses, this time it was tinted green which complemented her eyes beautifully.

He was just about to leave when Sakura then let the towel drop to the floor. His eyes widened, cheeks burning, (drop of blood out of his nose) and chocked silently at how magnificent her curves really looked without her usual ill-fitting dress.

Her breast were full and oh-so round. He wondered if _Ino_ had anything to do with Sakura being so conservative. The boy never knew that Sakura could actually possess such a scrumptious body.

If one was to glance at her, she seems to be like any other girl in Konoha: plain and somewhat perky.

Sasuke couldn't help but trace his eyes downwards and lock at the sight of her clean-shaven womanhood. This above all, persuaded his erection. Images flashed from the night before and now Sakura's bare figure. A small moan escaped his lips unwittingly, then Sakura quickly gazed towards her window.

He jumped down and leaned back on the wall just underneath the window sill. His heartbeat increased and inwardly kicked himself for not leaving sooner and having to stare at Sakura like that. Sakura felt a bit nervous and went over to the window fully dressed.

The Uchiha could feel her chakra, and tightened his palms into two fists ready to punch himself. Just to make sure, she tucked away any open spaces that could be seen outside and closed the windows completely. Sasuke jumped up only to see heavy curtains blocking his view of the insid, but he managed to peer through a forgotten corner and saw Sakura fully dressed.

"Kuso!" 'Damn' He said in a harsh whisper, _unfortunately_, loud enough for Sakura to come rushing to the window and glaring outside. _Fortunately_, Sasuke was quick enough to jump on her roof silently.

"Who goes there?!" She said in threatening tone, kunai in hand. Then after a moment she withdrew herself from the window and went to bed.

'This is **ridiculous**. Naruto's such a bad influence,' he pounced down the roof and headed out to wherever his instincts dragged him to. The boy felt a stab of guilt rush in him for not notifying anyone of his departure.

'Tch, only so they can try to stop me and mope over my loss..' he snorted and walked on his journey to find more power.


	5. Loss

-1Disclaimer: Naruto is not associated with me in any way except through fanfictions/AMVs/ and whatnot. Thank you for reading!

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Both Sakura and Naruto were looking all around Konoha for Sasuke. They asked everyone: Kakashi, Neji, Ino, **everybody**! However, Shikamaru did say that he saw someone with a bag, exiting Konoha and coming from the direction of either Tenten's estate or Sakura's apartment. Sakura gasped as she remembered hearing a rustle from out her window.

'Ugh, when I find out who that pervert is-ohoho, he's so gonna bleed!' Sakura's eyes were glistening evilly, though a part of her was considering that maybe that could've been Sasuke.

There was a tap on her shoulder and Kakashi towered over her.

"Sensei! Sasuke's missing!" Sakura looked frantic.

"Yes, I know. If I didn't why on earth would I be here right now." he remarked playfully but Sakura took it seriously and wasn't in the mood for his antics.

"Sasuke has left and you have the _nerve_ to crack a joke!? Ugh.…..men," she muttered the last word under her breath.

"Its no use, if Sasuke's missing--he's off somewhere and wants to be alone. Don't worry, he'll come back…hopefully."

Sakura sighed and trudged down to their same training area with Naruto. Sakura wasn't focused at all on her training and fell painfully at every attempt, yet didn't seem to mind as if she didn't feel it though blood was trickling down her knee. Naruto tried to help and brought her a bandage.

"Arigatou." Sakura wrapped the bandage around her knee which made it even more difficult to do the simplest of jumps while the blonde desperately tried to ease the depression.

"Hey, c'mon now. It cant be that bad without Sasuke around. You know, I could manage without his sarcastic remarks and one of those glares he always gives me." Naruto sat down next to her and struck a pose imitating Sasuke with his fingers laced under his chin and his elbows rested on his lap. Naruto gave a blank look out to who-knows-where. Sakura couldn't help but smile then eventually gave a slight laugh.

He mentally gave himself a pat on the shoulder for easing down her grief. And so they trained day after day without Sasuke, she had to admit--it wasn't the same without him but she didn't have so much distraction anymore.

After a month or so, Sakura gave up her mourn for the loss of their teammate, but it was still hidden somewhere, and began to concentrate even more vividly into her training.

Within a month her chakra reserves expanded, her skills were sharpened intensely, and her speed wasn't that far from Naruto's, considering that she didn't have that extra power like him. She didn't notice her progress until Kakashi pointed out to the blonde boy about Sakura's skills. The kunoichi was very proud about her sudden increase in strength.

Inner Sakura complemented, 'I think Sasuke would be impressed if he saw you now.' This both made her happy and remember her grief. The girl really had improved a great deal within only a couple of months now, yet the remembrance of Sasuke weighed her down a bit. However, to her own surprised she didn't go on bursting into a waterfall of tears that would've been expected back when they were 13 years of age. But now she was different, she was 18 and a half. Her feelings for the Uchiha are slowly starting to drift away.

'He's a mere crush, just an arrogant boy.' She couldn't imagine her saying this several years ago but now she had no problem thinking about his real attitude towards her. As the months wore on, her crush on Sasuke disappeared and she got used to being around only Naruto. Now that she didn't have Sasuke to turn her attention to, she realized how funny and kind-hearted Naruto really was. Not only was she getting to know the Uzumaki more, but without her full attention set on one particular person, Sakura has grown quite social and became good friends with the others such as; Chouji, Shikamaru, Tenten, heck--even Lee! After a few months without the Uchiha, she and Ino made amends but were still not as close as before.

The two teammates became closer friends and after a year of friendship, the boy would sometimes be able to give Sakura kisses on the cheek but only when they parted. Sakura didn't mind him kissing her, she thought it sweet but she didn't want him getting too comfortable. They would eat lunch and sometimes dinner with each other, miraculous thing was that Sakura got him to eat something other than ramen!

"Sakura-chan, you better not think that I'm actually liking this stir fried rice okay? This is just so that you can stop whining about my ramen." Naruto was such a horrible liar, he kept asking the waiter to bring in a couple more bowls of the rice and attacked it vigorously. Sakura only laughed and finished her own bowl.

"Sure, whatever blondie…" She implied sarcastically and took the bill from the waiter then choked.

"Huh! Oh Gods, You are so paying for this one!" she slapped the bill in front of his face and walked out the restaurant before he could protest. He swallowed his bite and read the bill, then gasped.

"Aaw, Sakura-chan!?" he looked out the door and she was already on her way back to her own apartment. The yellow haired boy was forced to pay whatever was in his toad wallet, washed the filthy dishes in the restaurant kitchen, and polished off the tables before he was allowed to leave. He was quite angry at her but he couldn't blame her, she only ate one bowl while he ate…more than 10 or something. He was never really keen when it came to math..

Naruto decided to stop by her house before he went back home. Sakura was in her room and Naruto, also not a gentleman, came right in anyway without even a simple knock. He went to the kitchen and found two sweet rolls and grabbed one of them. He stuffed it into his mouth before he headed towards Sakura's room. Swallowing difficultly, he entered her bedroom finding Sakura with only her underwear on. She had her back turned to him so she didn't know he was inside as well. Naruto stood and stared, eyes ready to pop out of their sockets and whole face turning a deep red. After a moment, the kunoichi sensed a presence behind her.

"Hn?" she turned around and gasped. She grabbed the piece of clothing she was holding then punched Naruto in the face, at the same time pushing him out her room. She slammed her door right on his nose and leaned against the door, as if he would barge in again. Sakura blushed tremendously then slipped on the shirt and skirt she was holding. Taking a deep breath before she opened the door, Naruto was still standing there a bit unconscious.

"Urgh, who the hell are you to just barge in my room!?" she received no answer and continued glaring at the blonde, "What the fuck are you doing here anyways?" Naruto blinked a couple of times then finally replied.

"Oh yeah, well I just wanted to…to-uh-say Good-night," with that he leaned over and kissed her cheek. He gave a wide grin after and saw her expression soften. The pink headed girl sighed and smiled a bit.

'Whew, good thing that kiss worked or I would've been-' Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by a fast kick to his crotch. He gasped sharply then curled up down on the floor. Sakura laughed and lectured him.

"That should teach you to never walk into someone's room without knocking, especially a _lady_'s apartment you dimwit!" Sakura chuckled down at him who was rolling all over the floor and clutching his zipper in pain.

"Oh, Hun, you really did deserve it you know." She wasn't expecting any reply for that one and after a moment, she helped Naruto get up. Nevertheless, she still couldn't help but laugh while his knees were shaking. They sat down on the couch while she giggled but she remembered why she kicked his crotch in the first place and hushed in an instant.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, I'm _really_ sorry! I didn't think-"

"Ugh, thinking isn't exactly something _you_ do, Naruto!"

"I know…but you see, why'd you leave me with that massive bill!? You know I don't have that much money to pay all that."

Sakura grinned, her anger subsiding, "I know." Naruto gave a frustrated look.

"Fine, I get it now. Stir fry isn't _that_ bad-**but** ramen is still my favorite!," The girl arched her eyebrows at his confession and giggled.

"Okay, okay but really-your obsessed with ramen! That **can't** be healthy." This conversation went on for about half an hour and then strayed to a different topic; Sasuke.

"So, you still like Sasuke even now?" He hoped she didn't because deep inside, he himself still had a liking towards the pink-headed girl.

"Hmm…now that you mention it. I don't think I…really like him that much anymore." She responded as she looked up at the ceiling and began pondering about _why_ he liked him in the first place. A bit startled, Naruto couldn't help grinning.

"Really?! Wow, so you've forgotten about him, hunh?"

"What? No, course not.." The hope in Naruto's eye vanished. "He's still our teammate and we can't just forget about him like that." The hope sparked up again.

"So, technically you just think of him as a teammate now than a boyfriend. .right?"

She chuckled and admitted, "We were never in any relationship in the first place. Besides, it was just a crush."

"Was? So, lets say there's another guy around who likes you…the dude would still have a shot at yah...right?" Naruto asked eagerly. Sakura was a bit astounded by his question and pinched his cheek.

"Maybe…Maybe not." she smiled brightly. "And why do you ask? You think you have a shot at me?"

His blue eyes grew wide with cheeks burning, not from Sakura's pinches but from the truth she just spoke, "Well-uh-…maybe…maybe not." He imitated. Sakura just smiled.

"Well its getting late, now get out of here so I too can sleep." Sakura gave him a little push on the shoulder. Naruto caught her wrist and held it tightly. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Sakura, I've been waiting 'till you finally forget about Sasuke. I'm glad you finally saw through him," Naruto said in a serious tone. Hearing his voice deepen this way sent shivers down her spine. She tried to free her hand from him but his grip was too tight.

"Naruto…" Sakura tried to retrieve her hand back but failed.

"Sakura…you're a wonderful person and it's about time you gave up on him." There was an awkward pause. "But you know, he's not all bad, he actually thought you were attractive.." His eyes lowered while her's shot at him.

"What? Really? I never.." she trailed off in a whisper. "But now its different, yes, I've finally seen reality…."

However, Naruto knew the truth, "But, yeah, you still have something for him…I know" He raised his eyes up to Sakura's.

She nodded weakly then a minute passed--felt longer than that though.

Naruto suddenly leaned over to her and planted a sweet kiss upon her lips. Sakura remained her eyes closed, then smiled. The blonde was also pleased with her reaction. Usually, she would've planted a punch on top of his head in return. He finally let her wrist free, Sakura took her other hand and touched Naruto's cheek. She kissed his cheek and told him to go on home.

He grinned and said, "Good-night, Sakura-chan."

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Okay, well I'd just like to say that Yes, this will be a Sasusaku fic not NaruSaku. Just a little fluff between the two. I feel some pity for the blondie but I think NaruSaku is cute too. There will be more to this, I'm just getting started. The real conflict and romance will be on later. Thank you for reading and please Review. I would love some ideas/comments/questions, maybe? Anything, Id appreciate some feedback. Please and Thank You!


	6. Surprise

-1Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and if I did, believe me, I would've added some NejiSaku romance! lol, Enjoy!

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It has been well over a year now that Sasuke has been gone and Sakura just had her 19th birthday.

Naruto had arranged a surprise party at her apartment, gathering everyone from Ino to Kakashi--Gaara couldn't make it due to Kazekage duties. Anyways, Naruto had cooked up a **gigantic** pot of mushroom and shrimp ramen and also made several rice cakes. It was a pot-luck. Ino had brought shiitake mushroom soup, Kakashi actually brought with him stir fry, Chouji was more than happy to supply large amounts of salad rolls, and everyone else brought a little something to help with the fiest.

When Sakura came home, it was extremely quiet and once she switched her light on-Naruto came bounding up to her and gave her a tight hug and a sweet peck on the cheek.

"Haha, Happy Bithday, Sakura-chan!" she was wide eyed again and gazed at the amount of people who actually fit in her tiny apartment. She then looked down to meet her eyes with Naruto's. She opened her mouth but it took her a while to speak in a proper language.

"I…is that?…Huh!….Naruto, thank you so much!" she returned the hug again, and he released her so that Ino can hug her too.

"Happy Birthday, Billboard Brow!" Ino squeezed Sakura and snickered playfully. She knew that Ino didn't really mean it this time and returned the mock insult.

"Why thank you, Pig!" many more of the guests greeted her and she was being overflowed with each 'happy birthday.' She just felt so special, that all of her friends would come out of their way and stay at her little surprise. Sakura had never received so much attention in her life!

The newly aged girl couldn't stop grinning as she received more hugs than ever. The feeling was so over the top that she could burst out crying just like that-and oh my, how it happened soon.

Just when she thought that she had greeted everyone, her guests started moving out of the way and gave a space in the center of the room. From the back of her living room, her parents were slowly appearing. Tears began to blind her vision of both reasons: good-she was touched that her parents had come to her surprise for their daughter, on the other hand; bad-she was concerned that they might make a whole speech in front of everyone that now she was officially an adult, a young-woman and she must show everyone that she is a woman and not just a child. However, something in her mind just let go of her concerns and faced her parents.

"Mother, Father….thank you for coming.." a tear trembled down her cheek as her mother took her daughter's hand and kissed it. Her father nestled a hand on her shoulder somewhat assuring her that this time, they weren't going to scold her. Sakura managed a weak smile as her nightmare began to collide with this wonderful moment, but it came softly.

"My daughter, you are now a strong young lady and now have the responsibility to bring honor to our name. Though your mother and I do not fully approve of you becoming a shinobi, you have grown into a strong woman. We are very much proud of you." her father had given her both words of caution and delight. She herself, had never heard her parents speak to her this way and her smile grew even wider.

She could only choke back her tears and manage a simple, "Thank you, Father." Everyone was staring at them, teary eyed and silent, until Naruto pushed himself in the center with Sakura.

"Awh, this is all so sweet! Sakura-chan, your parents are wonderful! Now why in the world did you just tell me yesterday how horrible their scolding were? I mean, really-"

Naruto had absolutely broken the peaceful silence and everyone was staring at him now, including Sakura's death glare.

"Uhm…what I-?" Kakashi had kicked Naruto on his rear to shut him up before he said anything more. He cringed a bit like he did back when he got a good kick from Sakura. She looked passed Naruto and gave Kakashi a smile. Kakashi only showed a pleased face and dragged the brat at the back of the crowd.

Sakura turned back to her parents, gave them a hug, and led them towards the food-filled table. Everyone began to eat and the mound of edibles quickly vanished.

She was so occupied with helping her guests feel comfortable that she nearly forgot about Naruto. Right after everyone left, she spotted Naruto cleaning up the garbage cans. She bit her lip as sudden guilt welled up inside her.

'Oh, I haven't even thanked him enough for arranging this for me..' sympathy brought out more tears as she watched Naruto, covered in soot, cleaning out the thrash and washing the dishes. She sucked up her tears and walked slowly towards him.

"Hey there, Blondie." he turned his head around with a frustrated expression then once he realized it was Sakura, it softened immediately and was replaced with a cheerful grin.

"Oh, hey, sorry I haven't finished cleaning all the dishes yet. Have I told you how much Chouji eats!? I mean wow-" he stopped when Sakura rested her hand on his shoulder again. She only did this when she wanted him to listen, to listen carefully. Her grip tightened and she fought back tears making it almost impossible to speak clearly but she managed.

"Naruto, I can't thank you enough for what you've done. Thank you, so much. I truly appreciate it….you know, I've never had a celebration just for me before…" Sakura looked intently in his bright blue eyes. Her grip only tightened even more and this told Naruto to keep his mouth shut until she was finished.

He had always thought that with all the awards, staright A's, and wonderful complements Sakura gets form her teachers that her parents would've given her a party almost every week! Especially now that she had grown into an incredible ninja that her parents would've thought of at least taking her out to a meal and praise her. But he knew better, with all the complaints she had confided to him-he was just so confused. Her parent's expectancies were so high…almost reminded him of Sasuke-there was never enough.

"I would never have thought of you as someone this caring, that I have to admit." she chuckled slightly and her tears retreated, "Naruto…you have been such a wonderful friend to me. I would better put up with your antics than Ino's attitude."

'Wow, really?!' Naruto said in his thoughts but he didn't say it aloud for he knew there was more coming.

She sighed deeply and looked him straight in the eye, "Naruto…. I love you." this was followed by a cheerful smile.

'_What did she just say_?!'

Naruto was shocked! Surprised! Astounded! And all the rest of the synonyms!

My goodness, he would never have imagined her saying this to _him_ at all! This feeling was beyond anything he had ever felt before. His smile was shining magnificently.

"Sakura-chan, do you really mean it?!" he asked eagerly. Sakura's smile softened and there was a bit of worriedness to it.

"Yes, of course Naruto. You of all people should know that you've become my closest friend lately." just then, Naruto's smile disappeared into a painfully blank face. Sakura was struck with guilt again. How it hurt so much to see that wonderful smile of his just vanish all of a sudden.

"Naruto…I-" but Naruto's smile came back just that he did a darn good job at making a fake one.

"Hm? what-me? Naw, Im okay. Heh, for a moment there I thought…" he muttered the rest and regained himself.

"Anyways, I know there's only one room in your heart for a true lover and evidently its not me. Heh," he still kept on smiling…she choked at this and tears began blurring her vision once more. "But, hey, I can still squeeze in and be your best friend right? Well unless Ino already took up all the space…hmm, her ass has gotten quite big you know so maybe-"

"Stop. I'm sorry, really." she whispered. "I didn't think you'd take it that way.." she had both hands taking grasp on his shoulder now. 'I thought we got past this already?'

"Your…right." hope dissolved away from the Uzumaki. "but there's still a lot of room in my heart for your love."

There was a spark in his eyes now and he knew that what she said was the truth and not guilt or sympathy for the boy. His smile came back once more and this time it was a true and a cheerful one.

After what she had just said, he couldn't stop himself from caressing her cheek. She smiled sweetly as his touch softened her too. He then stepped towards her and whispered in her ear…

"_**Sakura-chan, I love you with all of my heart." **_

She was a bit startled by these words. She never thought it possible for anyone, a boy especially to say this aloud all in one sentence. She opened her mouth to return the sweet praise, but her mouth was engulfed by his lips. He kissed her tenderly yet was filled with so much meaning. Then right after the kiss she was stabbed by guilt once again.

'Naruto, I'm sorry but you can be no more than a very close friend to me.' she dared not say this aloud but had to admit that somewhere deep within her heart, she had a special kind of emotion for Naruto-the loving feeling she had to Sasuke. Yet somehow it just wasn't enough of a feeling to really mean that much.

The blond boy before her had openly announced his love for her in those dazzling azure eyes of his which made him seem even more striking. The small feeling he had for Naruto began to expand slowly, noticing how wonderful he had been all through Sauke's loss. Sakura sighed and gave back the kiss but once she opened her eyes…she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Actually, she wasn't sure _what_ she was seeing. Some distance from them, there was a dark figure with half his body concealed in the darkness. He looked utterly familiar, and obviously hurt. His eyes flickered bloody red then dissolved completely into the darkness. She let go of their kiss and gasped. Naruto furrowed his brows in concern.

"What's wrong? ..look if it's the kiss.. I'm sorry, I couldn't help it…" He scrated his head while fumbling about trying to explain. Sakura gaped for a moment still gazing at the brush where the figure disappeared. Then quickly turned back to Naruto. She giggled a bit to ease him down.

"It's not you silly, its nothing. I just..uh..didn't know you were so good, ne?" she chuckled and Naruto laughed as well.

"Well, there's a whole lot more where that came from.." they laughed for a moment and hugged each other good-bye. Sakura watched as the blonde dissipated into the night. She sighed happily and went inside her own home.


	7. Return

-1Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the making of it

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Once Sakura entered the safety of her home, she continued cleaning up the rest of her kitchen, all the while thinking about the stranger she just saw.

'What if it was a ghost? A spirit!' she shivered but knew that spirits wouldn't really have what looked to be Sharingan eyes. Those red orbs were different, they were familiar, and glistened like no other.

However, she just couldn't straighten out her mind where she's seen eyes such as those before. After struggling with her mind for a while, she ignored it and finished up her cleaning. She went to the front to lock her door, stepping outside to close it first but once she stepped outside, a rush of air blew passed her and she was staring at those same bloody red orbs.

The gaze wouldn't let her go and she was transfixed at that one spot. Her knees weren't trembling at all as she would've done but somehow, she felt a familiar presence within the stranger. The stranger was a man fully dressed in a dark coat with a thin black fabric covering the lower half of his face. The mask reminded her of Kakashi but obviously, this wasn't him. She couldn't move at first especially when the stranger walked closer to her. She stood her ground, already calculating the possibilities of escape or head on combat, but something was holding her back.

The dark figure before her brought a hand to the corner of his neck and suddenly, Sakura was blinded. The figure used such great speed that within a second he had his piece of fabric wrapped around her eyes so she couldn't see anything at all and he held her hands behind her back so she couldn't attack.

Sakura gasped and tried to peer through the cloth but though it was thin, it was very dark; too dark to see through. She tried shaking it off but the knot was too tight. The stranger chuckled softly and she darted her head at the direction it was coming from; right in front of her. She felt his heat intensify even more and arms were caressing her waist. The pink headed girl was trapped with some complete stranger. Who knew what he was gonna do next--rape her?

'Omfg, pleaseohpleaseohplease don't!' she kept praying in her head. She tugged at his arms but he was too masculine to do any effort. She then felt a slight prickle of his hair next to her neck and heard him whisper…

"Don't be afraid Sakura, it's only me…" he leaned back only to kiss her softly. It was pleasant indeed and all too familiar, she had only kissed two boys and somehow she knew that Naruto couldn't have kissed her this way. When he pulled back, the rush of a familiar scent filled in the holes.

"Sasuke…" she whispered without even noticing the name that just came out of her mouth.

"I'm surprised you even remember me." he snorted. The voice was very much like Sasuke's but had developed deeper as a whole year and more had passed. The Haruno however, felt hurt at his statement.

"How dare you say that! Neither Naruto or myself can ever forget a fellow teammate." Her anger pumped up her chakra and she freed herself from Sasuke's grip. She tore off the fabric and glared at him with mixed emotions: anger, pain, and concern. But to her astonishment, he looked back at her with a shocked and also pained gaze. Sakura had never seen him with this expression before but it soon dissolved away and Sasuke had a blank face.

"Aa, so you just think of me as a teammate now." Sakura loosened her grip on her kunai and stared directly into his onyx eyes. It took her a while to assure what she was going to say and finally made up her mind.

"Yes. Sasuke, you have been gone for so long and my emotions for you have been….replaced."

Of course, she was lying.

Sasuke raised a brow. 'Replaced?' he wondered.

"Naruto has been along my side throughout the whole time and has given me all his friendship."

'Naruto…' Sasuke grimaced at the thought of being replaced by _Him_.

"I now know that I don't need a selfish boy who doesn't even consider saying a 'good-bye'." she sighed rather happily. "I have grown so much stronger…when you were gone."

Sasuke felt like as if he had been jabbed in the chest with a shuriken. Her words had hurt him far more than literally being stabbed. The two stayed quiet until Sasuke began to step out into the streets.

'Good, she thinks like me now.' Had he given her _that_ kind of influence?

"Then coming back was a mistake after all…"

"No! ..stay…we've missed you." The figure stopped and turned towards her. He gave a simple smirk.

"Hn, then I'll stay. " he turned back to the streets and said with a faint hint of grimace, "I'm glad you've seen the truth…"

Sakura watched him leave just as he had watched Naruto leave. Having both of them walk the same path that cold night seemed to be a signal for her. A sign, that no matter how much she tried she will still not be able to be compared with them, that no matter what, she will be left behind as the two go on their same path of life.

She was so afraid that they might just leave her behind and vanish without notice just as Sasuke had done. If he had done it once, he can certainly do it multiple times and Naruto would eventually follow him without her slowing them down. Haruno silently choked as Sasuke disappeared then retrieved back to her apartment.

She couldn't really sleep with thoughts bouncing inside her head. But at least now, they were a team again; Sasuke was back.


End file.
